


Outlawed Inlaws

by MidLifeWriter



Category: Gilmore Girls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 20:58:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10499352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidLifeWriter/pseuds/MidLifeWriter
Summary: Now that Lorelai and Luke are married, how will that change Luke's relationship with Emily?  How will April play a role in this?





	

**Author's Note:**

> A story post AYITL that does not involve Rory.
> 
> I always wondered how Emily and Luke's relationship would change after he and Lorelai got married and that he was now "officially" an inlaw. 
> 
> This is a one-shot that has been brewing for some time. I don't know if there is more, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Outlawed Inlaw**

 

 

Christmas Eve afternoon 2016. A car driven by Luke pulled up and parked in the Gilmore driveway and the newly legally unified Gilmore-Danes family began to unload. With the Gilmore house sold and the closing a month away, this occasion marked the last family Christmas celebration hosted in the house 50 years. This occasion solicited different feeling from the members of the Gilmore-Danes family. Luke couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief; this house and those in it always intimidated him. The grandeur and the innate formality was not who he was and thus he always made sure that he spent as little time there as possible. For Lorelai, it was bittersweet.  The memories of her unhappy, oppressive childhood, mixed in with pleasant if not happier times after she and her parents reconnected when Rory was sixteen. For Rory, there was a sense of sadness; she felt most connected with her grandfather when she was in this house. His spirit became her muse, and his study was her sanctuary. Losing the house was like losing him all over again.

 

For April, she felt a sense of awe.

 

In the nine-plus years that Luke and Lorelai had been together, April had never been to the Gilmore house. Yes, she, Emily, and Richard had interactions, but they always took place in another locale. With her living in Arizona with her mother and then going to college in Boston, April was never in town when occasions were planned. Even with the death of Richard Gilmore, April couldn’t make it to the funeral (although she really wanted to) because of an important school-related commitment (she did call Emily and she and her mother sent flowers.)

 

"Wow!  You grew up here?", April asked thoroughly impressed.

 

“Grew, imprisoned, escaped, yes.” Lorelai quipped nonchalantly.

 

“It’s quite impressive and beautiful. Look at the details of the carvings!” April observed.

 

Lorelai looked around, “Yes to ward off the evil spirits. They don’t’ work.” She answered April sarcastically with a wink.

 

“Well, I think it’s cool,” April responded.

 

The door opened before they got to the entrance.

 

“Hello, hello, Merry Christmas!” Emily greeted them brightly.

 

The four walk in the house. Although stripped down significantly, with all the Christmas decorations the house looked warm and festive.

 

“Mom,” Lorelai said in awe, “the house looks beautiful.”

 

“Thank you. Berta and family insisted on putting all the decorations up one last time. I guess they wanted the last Christmas here to be a memorable one.”

 

“Where are they anyway?”

 

“Berta is getting dinner ready and afterward she is going to retire to the pool house to celebrate with her family. We had our own celebration here for lunch.”

 

They walked into the living room where Emily started passing out drinks. A beer for Luke, vodka martini for Lorelai, club soda with lime for Rory, “April can I get you a drink?”

 

“I…I am…not sure.”

 

“Well I can make you a martini, you can have a beer or a glass of wine.”

 

“A white wine would be great.”

 

Emily poured the wine and gave the glass to April. April couldn’t help but watch Emily as she glided through the room handing out drinks playing perfect hostess until she gracefully sat down in her designated chair. April observed as Emily took command of the room, gently steering the conversation on an even keel.

 

After dinner, they met back in the living room where they had after dinner drinks while looking through boxes of old photos.   There were very old photographs Richard and Emily’s parents from the 1930s, photos of Emily and Richard as children, young adults, and newlyweds, several pictures of Lorelai during various phases of her life wearing fancy outfits and making faces at the camera, as well as a series from her big hair days.

 

“Mom,” Rory said laughing hysterically passing a photo of the teenage Lorelai to Luke who immediately started laughing, “how many can Aquanet did you use a day? Whoa.”

 

“Heeyyy, that was the style,” Lorelai said good-naturedly yet offended.

 

“Emily, is this you?” April asked holding up a photo. It was a teenage girl dressed in a white gown holding flowers.

 

“Yes, that was my coming out party, I was 16.”

 

“You look beautiful. That is a great dress.”

 

“Yes, my mother had is specially made for the occasion.”

 

“Did you have to do a lot of preparation for your coming out party?”

 

“Ah yes,” Lorelai interjected, “how to distinguish old money from older money, how to Foxtrot without looking at your feet, whether or not to drink your tea with your pinky up or down…”

 

“Lorelai.” Emily said scoldingly, “Yes, April, there was much preparation that went into that event, but in the end, I enjoyed it.”

 

“I bet it was great fun,” April responded.

 

“Really?” Luke asked surprised, “I never pegged you for the debutant type April.”

 

“Dad, I spend my days in a lab in a male dominated field. So anything that is the opposite of that is fascinating. You can’t get more opposite than a debutant ball.”

 

“No you can’t…” said Emily

 

 

 Two days later, Emily received a call. “Hello Emily, this is April. How are you?”

 

Caught by surprise, Emily responded, “Well, I’m fine thank you. And you?”

 

“I’m good. I wanted to thank you again for having me over at Christmas. I really enjoyed myself.”

 

Feeling a bit elated Emily responded, “Well thank you April, it was nice having you.”

 

“Listen, I am calling regarding something else, but I can’t really talk about it over the phone. I know you are busy and everything, but I was wondering if I could drop by sometime this week? My schedule is pretty open, so you can name the time.”

 

“Well, yes I can meet with you. Would tomorrow morning work? Maybe around 10 am? I have an appointment I have to leave for at noon. Will that be enough time?”

 

‘Oh, plenty. Thank you, Emily. I will see you tomorrow.”

 

 

The next day, April arrived at the Gilmore house at 10 am on the dot. Emily opened the door and inviting April in.

 

“Thank you for meeting with me,” April said as Emily took her coat.

 

“My pleasure. I admit I am very curious as to why you wanted to meet.” Emily responded

 

They walked to the living room, where Emily gave April a glass of water. They sat in silence for a moment while April gathered her thoughts.

 

“Yes, well in regards why I asked you to meet with me. Well, here’s the thing. As you know I am in graduate school at MIT studying theoretical physics. I am very passionate about my work, and I am so happy to be able to study and work in a field that I love. Being in labs, research, the collaborations, conducting experiments is what I dreamed of doing. However, school is only part of the equation. With people questioning the value of certain types of research and funding being what it is, grad students are now expected to attend functions and network with funders and donors. These are people with serious money. And well, while I could talk about my work all day long, I am finding that I am not…how shall I put it? Properly equipped to handle the cocktail party crowd.”

 

“Okay…” responded the confused Emily.

 

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I was raised in a barn. I know and practice the rules of polite behavior etiquette. I always say please and thank you, I always give up my seat on the bus for older people, I am very diligent about writing “thank you” notes. However, I was also raised and pretty much live in a pretty informal environment, and well while there were great things about my childhood and life, I feel like it in some ways it was a little too lax in formality.”

 

“I see”

 

“So, I go these fancy very formal occasion with donors in these very fancy places and I feel a bit intimidated and nervous, and when that happens I either retreat or tend to talk too much. I last event I went to I think I overwhelmed a donor to the point that he left the party early. That was so embarrassing. Anyway, I have to do something about this. Being able to navigate the world of donor networking is essential to my success. And I was thinking that possibly you can help me in this matter.”

 

“Really, and why are you seeking _my_ help in particular?”

 

“I’ve watched you throughout the years. The way that you glide into social situations, present yourself in such a way that is confident and poised. And then the other night during Christmas, the way you attended to everything with such precision and grace. It was really interesting to observe. It may seem weird, but I enjoyed your stories about your coming out party and the fancy dresses and everything. It all seems so…elegant. Anyway, I just feel like that is an aspect of my life that needs…further development.   I mean, imagine I win the Noble Prize and then thoroughly embarrass myself at the dinner because I forget which utensil to use during a particular course. At minimum I want to feel like I can walk into these networking situations and not feel intimidated. It’s the intimidation that is at the root of all of this. I think, if I have a basis on what to do, then all this networking wouldn’t be so scary? So, how about it? Will you help me?”

 

Emily sat back in her chair, carefully considering April’s request.

 

“You know I can be a very harsh taskmaster.”

 

“I would be surprised if you weren’t.”

 

“You would have to come out at see me in Nantucket.”

 

“Well, it’s a good thing I live in Boston.”

 

Emily smiled at April, “Well then, I think we can try.”

 

“Really?!?!” April exclaimed, nearly jumping off the sofa with excitement, before catching herself, and continuing in a more dignified manner, “That would be wonderful.”

 

“When are you going back to school?”

 

“A week from today.”

 

“Would you like to start the day after tomorrow? 10 am here?”

 

“That would be great!”

 

“Well then, it’s a date.”

 

“Thank you, Emily,” April said as she stood up. “Well, then I will go now and let you get ready for your appointment. Thank you for meeting with me and agreeing to help.”

 

“Well, I am flattered that you sought out my assistance.”

 

Emily walked April to the door. Before leaving April hugged Emily goodbye. As she walked away, Emily asked one final question.

 

“April?” Emily called out.

 

“Yes?” April answered as she turned around.

 

“Does you father know you are here?”

 

“No, he doesn’t. This is my thing.”


End file.
